Meet Mary Haberski of Mary Haberski Yoga & Bodywork in Venice

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary Haberski.

Mary, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
When I started practicing yoga over 15 years ago, I never thought that today I would be an internationally celebrated yoga teacher, inspiring students around the globe. I have the privilege of traveling as well as staying local, offering the beauty, wisdom, and knowledge of the art and science of yoga and meditation. At this point I have served thousands of children through the practice, which was not where I thought my teachings would take me but the practice moves me, I don’t move it! I also have the honor of teaching adults domestically and internationally on retreats, festivals, workshops, in studios, privately, corporately, for events, and online. My deep sense of intuition and expertise in understanding the human body also lead me to extend my gifts in the healing arts, as a bodywork therapist. I am beyond grateful for being a change agent for people’s personal and spiritual growth and development, my work is very rewarding and brings me great joy.

Truth be told, my story wasn’t always so flowery. I struggled with depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, over working myself, was overweight, and found ways to distract myself from my soul’s calling, time and time again, I felt empty inside. I knew since I was a little girl that my life was made for greatness but could not seem to find my purpose here on Earth. I invested so much of myself in work, building other people’s dreams that my body and health was declining and I was often sick. My stress levels were to the max and I had no idea what I should do but desperately wanted my life to change.

I decided to join a gym and they had yoga classes. I had practiced before on a VHS tape (yes, VHS) many times before and only knew that I enjoyed doing it because I felt calm yet energized after I was finished. It only took one great teacher who was more invested in sharing the spiritual realms to confirm inside of myself that yoga was for me, and over time things started to make more sense around me. At the time I considered myself atheist, but without my permission the practice began to take over me and very soon knew I needed to teach. I dragged feet for many years, not thinking I was fit enough, strong enough, talented enough to be a yoga teacher. I fell in and out of practice, going back to my old habits and patterns, but every time I came back, the practice was always waiting for me with open arms. It turns out it never really goes anywhere and has no judgments welcoming you back. The practice of yoga gave me a completely new lease on life, I not only became physically fit, but more importantly, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually so.

In 2012, I moved to Los Angeles to pursue my dreams of becoming a yoga teacher, after teaching small groups in Chicago the year before. I dedicate my life to serving people of all ages and levels of practice because yoga was, and still is, the greatest gift I have received in life. My life is barely recognizable from who I have been, I am happy, healthy, in love with myself, and now inspiring tens of thousands of people through my teachings and practice. While I am here on Earth, I aspire to serve and inspire millions, liberating the hearts and minds of people so they may know the truth of who they are, the physical part, or asana, is only a small part of yoga. My aim as a teacher is to bestow the rapture of the higher realms and teachings so people live in harmony, mind, body, and spirit.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
We tend to glorify the unicorn stories of entrepreneurs, but they are few and far in-between. I have scrubbed a lot of toilets to get where I am today. I wanted to give up more times than I can count, calling my mom crying, proclaiming that I should just give up on my dreams of becoming a yoga teacher, that I just can’t seem to figure out how to make it work. I had been broke and broken down. I hit rock bottom, and then fell further. But every time, I wiped my tears, dusted off my knees, and hit the ground running again. Working for yourself isn’t always as sexy as it looks and it is not for everyone. It takes a great amount of grit and determination to be successful, especially in a saturated market. I have had to let go of what I thought it would look like to allow what was meant to be to occur. It took me a while to figure out that I needed multiple streams of income, including one’s non-yoga related to make the dream a reality. If I could give one piece of advice, DON’T QUIT YOUR DAY JOB. At least not until you are running on all 4 cylinders financially.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Mary Haberski Yoga & Bodywork – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I am best known for teaching outside of yoga studios, be it privately, for corporations, at events, festivals, or on the beach. I am most proud that I have worked with so many children. I can’t even imagine who I would be today if I was taught yoga and meditation as a kid. I also love that I am known for being explicitly trusted by my clients. I am honored that people welcome me into their home and trust me to care for the things that are most important to them. What I hear the most from my clients, outside of ‘you have magic hands’, is that I am so loving. I have seriously love and respect for my clients and it makes me happy to know that they feel it. I also have an ocean conservation organization, Daana Blue. I am incredibly proud of all we have accomplished for our beaches, ocean, and environment. I teach yoga, meditation, and mindfulness practices during our events and see it as my highest level of service of yoga.

A few things that set me apart from others is that while we focus on the body in detail, it is not my main focus in regards to the practice of yoga. I feel like I am not giving all I can when I only focus on the physical and they are really missing out on the best parts. Meditation is such an important part to learn and I specialize in finding a practice that is approachable for all my clients. I also incorporate more than one style, such as vinyasa, hatha, restorative, yin, and kundalini. As a bodywork therapist, I do a lot of hands on adjustments and massage during lessons and classes. Many of my private yoga clients also become bodywork clients, which helps them greatly with overall peace of mind. I also do private lessons for kids, to my knowledge, I am one of the only ones in LA who does so.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
I hold no small dreams. I will liberate the minds of millions of children and adults through the practice of yoga and meditation. I am currently working with underserved youth and youth of privilege with my ocean conservation, Daana Blue, to free them from the shackles of systematic oppression and poverty, together. We offer them yoga, meditation, mindfulness practices, and tools they can take with them to continue their evolution, and teach them how to be of service to themselves, each other, and our planet. I see us taking our programming internationally. From there, having a show on the OWN Network inspiring millions through our practices and being in service.

I dream of having an orphanage in India incorporating eastern and western practices and empowering the children to live sustainably while teaching them how to achieve their magnificent human potential.

I also look forward to more travel to spread the love, inspiration, and bliss of yoga. There’s more, but I can’t give it all up on the first go.

Pricing:

• Private Lessons- $120/hr for adults
• Private Lessons for Kids- 30 min/$60 45min/$90
• Bodywork- $150/hr $200/1.5hr
• Corporate Yoga $150/hr
• Corporate Bodywork $200/hr

Contact Info:

• Website: www.maryhaberski.com
• Phone: 312-593-4696
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @yogasurflove
• Facebook: Mary Haberski
• Yelp: Mary Haberski Yoga

Image Credit:
Michael Witt Photography
Nir Livni